Q: What are the requirements for admission? What would be the most
important pieces of my application?

A: Please refer to the Application Materials section in the application
guidelines page. Please note that ALL pieces of the application are
important.

Q: What would be the minimum GRE score required to apply to the MS
CS?

A: There is no minimum requirement for GRE scores (either general or
subject) but note that a high score (above 90%) is preferred.

Q: Do you have to be a Computer Science undergraduate major to apply?

A: The answer is No: no particular CS prerequisites are required before
a student can apply to the CS MS program (i.e., it is not required that
a student have a CS or EE undergraduate degree in order to apply).

Q: Would I have to take all CS courses again if I am a CS undergraduate
major?

A: Not necessarily. You might be able to waive breadth CS courses (please
see next question) if your advisor approves it once you are accepted to
the MS program.

Q: I would like to find out if my undergraduate coursework satisfies
the MSCS breadth requirements.

A: Please read the Guide to the MSCS Program Sheet.
Note that your faculty advisor is the person who will authorize any exemptions.
You will be assigned a faculty advisor if you are admitted into the MSCS
program.

Q: Does the CS Department have an integrated BS/MS program?

A: Please check out this site for information about the coterm
program

Part-time MS

Q: Does Stanford University offer a part-time CS master's program?

A: Stanford University offers a part-time masters program called the
Honors Coop Program (HCP), but it is offered to employees of affiliated
companies ONLY. Please check out the web site for the HCP program at: http://scpd.stanford.edu/scpd/enrollInfo/degree/
or see our HCP section. Note that the admission process
is the same as the one for full-time students.

We also offer programs for students who are interested in learning the
material without registering for the MS degree. This program is called
the Non-Degree Options (NDO) program and is made available for employees
of affiliated companies. For information about NDO, please go to: http://scpd.stanford.edu/scpd/enrollInfo/degree/
or
see our NDO section.

Assistantships

Q: What are TA-ships or RA-ships?

A: TA-ships and RA-ships respectively are Teaching Assistantships and
Research Assistantships. Both are available to graduate students. Half-time
assistants receive 8-10 units of tuition coverage per quarter, during the
academic year, as well as a monthly stipend. Duties for half-time assistants
during the academic year involve approximately 20 hours of work per week.
Teaching assistants (TAs) help an instructor teach a course by conducting
discussion sections, consulting with students, grading examinations, and
so on. Research assistants (RAs) help faculty and senior staff members
with research in computer science.

Q: Is is possible to get an RA/TA-ship?

A: Most teaching and research assistantships are held by Ph.D. students
in the Department of Computer Science. If there is an insufficient number
of Ph.D. students to staff teaching and research assistantships, then these
positions are open to a limited number of masters students in the department.
However, masters students should not plan on being appointed to an assistantship.

Non-matriculated Students

Q: I would like to take graduate level CS classes at Stanford. Do you
have exchange or extension programs?

A: Unfortunately, we do not have exchange programs with other schools
(please refer to the "Exchange Programs" section of the Stanford Bulletin
for exceptions). We don't allow non-matriculated students to take courses.
We also do not have an extension program or offer evening or weekend courses.
The only quarter in which non-Stanford students are welcome is summer.
During summer quarter Stanford offers the "summer visitor" program, and
non-Stanford students are allowed to enroll for one or more courses from
the summer quarter offerings.

Inquiries about the Summer Visitor program should be directed to the
Summer Sessions Office at summer.session@stanford.edu,
or (650)723-3109.

We have a part-time masters program called HCP and a non-degree option
(NDO), but courses are only offered to employees of affiliated companies.
We do not offer online courses to non-HCP/NDO students.

Q: I would like to find out if my undergraduate coursework will satisfy
the MSCS breadth requirements.

A: You might be able to waive breadth courses. Please read the Guide
to the MSCS Program Sheet.
Your faculty advisor is the person who will authorize any exemptions.

Q: It is too late to drop the class. Will it show on my transcript
if I withdraw from a class now?

A: Yes. Until the "withdraw" deadline, it will show up as "W[ithdraw]"
and after that, it will show up as NC (No Credit) or NP (No Pass).

Q: Can I take the same seminar more than once?

A: You can take the same seminar as many times as you want as long as
you do not count more than 3 units of seminars in total towards your MS
degree.

Q: Which specialization should I consider if I want to study XXXX?

A: Please look through the different specializations. They will give
you an idea of which specialization would be best for you. You can find
their descriptions here.
You can also design your own specialization, but it would need to get
approved by the department.

Q: Can I take independent study courses (CS393/CS395/CS399) more
than once?

A: Yes, and you can count them towards your MS degree as long as you
fulfill the breadth and depth course requirements.

Q: I am a second year MS student. Can I use the program sheet requirement
for this year? Example: I started my MS in Fall 2000; can I use the program
sheet of 2001-02 instead of 2000-01?

A: The answer is Yes. You may use any program sheet made available between
the time you enrolled in the program and the time you graduate.

Q: What courses can I count as Electives on my program sheet?

A: Courses numbered above 100 in the Computer Science department (except
CS196, 197, 198) can be counted as electives. In general, courses in the
School of Engineering, Mathematics or Statistics departments that are
numbered above 100 and are of a technical nature are acceptable,
technical meaning that the course involves programming,
use of college-level mathematics/statistics or engineering concepts.
Other courses,
for example, those in entrepeneurship, ethics, art, history, languages, athletics, and public
speaking, cannot be counted as elective course work.

Residency and Unit Requirements

Q: What is the minimum number of units I can take per quarter? Is
it the same for my last quarter before graduation?

A: Every student (both international and not international) has to register
for at least 8 units per quarter. The only exceptions are summer quarter
and the last quarter before graduation when students may take as few as
3 units.

Q: What is the minimum residency requirement (full-time students)?

A: The following residency policy is effective for students who begin
their graduate program in Autumn Quarter 2001. You have to be registered
for 45 units and no transfer units are allowed.
For information about the residency policy in effect for students who
entered prior to Autumn Quarter 2001, you have to be registered for the
equivalent of at least 3 full-tuition quarters. Note that a 9-unit or a
10-unit quarter will accrue less residency than a full-tuition quarter
(11 units or more).

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Q: What is the minimum number of units I have to register for if
I do CPT during the summer quarter?

A: CPT is a 1 unit course. However, you must register for at
least 3 units during the summer quarter.

Assistantships

Q: How can I get a TA? When shall I apply?

A: Please look for emails sent to MS students by Claire Stager. These
emails are sent every quarter and specify the procedure to follow to apply
for a TA.

Q: How can I get an RA?

A: Research Assistantships are usually offered by professors for specific
projects. The best way to get an RA is to browse the research projects
within the department. If you are interested in a specific project, you
may contact one of the professors from the corresponding research group
and explain your interests and ideas to him/her. Another way is to expose
your own project ideas to professors in the field.

Q: Am I still a full-time student if I have a TA or RA appointment?

A: Yes, and you still have to take at least 8 units of courses per quarter
(see previous section for unit requirement).

A: Please see the CS Graduate Admissions web site at
http://www.cs.stanford.edu/Admissions/
for
details on applying for admission. Note that the HCP admissions procedures
are the same as those for the full-time MS program.

Q: If I am an HCP student, do I have to attend classes on campus?
Do I have to come to campus for the exams?

A: The answer to both questions is NO. You can attend many (but not
all) classes remotely through the Distance Learning Program of the Stanford
Center for Professional Development (SCPD). Refer to SCPD's course
offerings to see which classes are offered remotely. This list varies
from quarter to quarter. For classes taken remotely, you do not have to
come on campus for exams.

A: Program sheets need to be approved and signed by your faculty advisor,
then given to Claire Stager
(Gates 182). Contact your advisor (voice mail, email) directly. If you
do not hear from your advisor despite your attempts, contact the MS advisor
by email at advisor@cs.stanford.edu.

Q: If I apply to the HCP program, will my previous transcripts be
available to my employer?

A: If you submit your transcript directly to Stanford University, your
employer will NOT have access to your previous transcripts. However, any
grades received in classes taken at Stanford WILL be available to your
employer.

Q: If I apply to the NDO program, will my previous transcripts be
available to my employer?

A: If you submit your transcript directly to Stanford University, your
employer will NOT have access to your previous transcripts. However, any
grades received in classes taken at Stanford WILL be available to your
employer.

Q: Can I sit in on the classes as an NDO student?

A: No. NDO students are not allowed to come to campus for classes with
the exception of midterm and final exams.

Q: How many units from my NDO courses can I transfer to the HCP program
if I apply and am accepted?

A: A maximum of 18 units may be transferred.

Q: Will taking courses through the NDO program help me in my application
to the HCP program?

A: Taking classes through the NDO program might help you if you receive
good grades. However, receiving good grades as an NDO student will not
guarantee acceptance into the HCP program as many items factor into that
decision (grades from previous degree(s), GRE(s), reference letters, etc.).